This unit consists of five activities, all of which focus on the response of plant life-cycle events to climate change. Students participate in discussions, field observations, data collection and analyses, plant identification, seed dispersal...(View More) comparisons, and graphing and analyses of plant phenology (timing of life-cycle events). Project BudBurst, a citizen science project which studies the impact of climate change on phenology, is integrated into this unit. The unit is one of four under the Chicago Botanic Garden curriculum entitled, "Climate Change in My Backyard."(View Less)

Students will research and evaluate information about global warming, identify decision-making criteria for action or lack of action, and decide what level of certainty is sufficient to take action. They should debate the issue of when we know...(View More) enough to act, based on the results of their research. This activity is part of the Ground Truth Studies Teacher Handbook, which provides more than 20 activities to build student understanding of global change and remote sensing, and includes background chapters for teachers, glossary, and appendices.(View Less)

Learners will identify existing government agencies charged with safeguarding water quality, their geographic jurisdiction, and their subjects of concern, such as water quality laws, information, testing, and enforcement, and identify water quality...(View More) issues and ways citizens can have a role in the action of government agencies. This activity is part of the Ground Truth Studies Teacher Handbook, which provides more than 20 activities to build student understanding of global change and remote sensing, and includes background chapters for teachers, glossary, and appendices.(View Less)